Recent Works by Lawrence Buttigieg at the VGB Art Gallery, Valletta, Malta

Exhibition of Paintings and Line Drawings

Between the 18th October and the 15th November Lawrence Buttigieg is showing a collection of recent paintings and line drawings at the VGB Art Gallery in Valletta, Malta. This exhibition may be considered as a sequel to the one held last year at the Auberge d'Italie, also in Valletta. In this body of works Buttigieg continues to develop the themes of the female portrait/ nude and the local landscape. What characterizes his portrayals of the female figure, both nude and dressed, is his distinctive objective approach (probably as a result of his architectural background). These new paintings betray Buttigieg’s ever present preoccupation with composition, drafting and colour. Whereas the figurative works address questions of identity and representation, the landscapes explore the Mediterranean environment with its typical strong colours and sharp contrasts of light and shade. In Buttigieg’s works land, sea and human form are simplified and transformed into subtle orchestrations of colour and defined brushstrokes. His colours are the colours of life, which render likeness and personal stylization inseparable.

Buttigieg has exhibited extensively, both locally and abroad. His last major show was that referred to above, at the Auberge d’Italie. In 2003 the ex-Chiesa di Santa Marta, Piazza del Collegio Romano, Rome was the venue of a personal exhibition of his. The artist’s participation in collectives includes several international shows. Two of these are Aim for Arts (2000) and Painting on the Edge (2003), both held at the Galleries of the Federation of Canadian Artists, Grenville Island, Vancouver. More recently, he exhibited in the European Parliament building in Brussels and the Palazzo del Governo, Syracuse, Italy.

Buttigieg has a Master of Arts (Visual and Performing Arts) from Charles Sturt University. He has also studied at California State University and the University of Malta.